Aydin
by Cinnamonpool
Summary: All it takes is a spirited slave with a dark past, an cunning and sly warlord, a dangerous vermin horde, and the peaceful Redwall Abbey to create the biggest battle ever seen
1. Chapter 1

**Aydin**

**Summary: All it takes is a spirited slave with a dark past, a cunning and sly warlord, a dangerous vermin horde, and Redwall Abbey to create the greatest battle Redwall has ever seen.**

--

A young squirrel trotted along, paws bound together by a thick, sturdy rope. A ferret eyed the new slave group wearily while flicking a black leather whip. He whispered something to his companion, a stoat, and the stoat nodded back.

"Todar will be very pleased," growled the ferret in his slick, oily voice. The stoat looked unsure. He fiddled with his claws uneasily and looked the ferret in the eye.

"Are you sure, Fatom? 'Cause the only decent ones we have are the little silver mousemaid, the otter, the squirrelmaid, and the gray mole!" The stoat had been properly educated before turning to the life of a slaver. Fatom glared at him, his eyes narrowed into dark green slits.

"I'm sure we're fine, Halluc, he's got enough pretty ones to choose from," Fatom snickered, twirling his whip in a casual manner. Halluc sighed in defeat and dragged himself away from the moody ferret. Fatom was known for being ecstatic in one moment and filled with boiling hate the next.

--

The squirrel, Aydin, shot withering glares at the other vermin that surrounded her. The little silver mousemaid behind her twitched her ear uncomfortably.

"Stupid, lily-livered vermin! Who do they think they are? Taking us prisoner," she scoffed. Unfortunately for her, the rat supervising her overheard their brief conversation and was upon her, his whip whirling about. She whimpered every time it struck her tender hide. The other vermin laughed and jeered and shoved dirt in her face. Hatred boiled in her and her body trembled with uncontrollable rage. Suddenly, the whip suspended in midair, still and unmoving. The slavers glanced around, half expecting the woodlander behind this would appear in that second.

One look at Aydin's grim, determined face and the mousemaid summoned her guess. But there was still one tiny nagging bit of doubt.

_How had the squirrel stopped the whip without touching it? _And thus eliminated the possibility of Aydin saving her.

Aydin's eyes became slits as she spotted the mastermind behind this capture, a dark colored male otter with three vertical scars running across his cheek. By the blood red color of them, the squirrelmaid could tell that the wound was quite recent.

_So, he must've gotten that from their leader because they probably failed the last mission. _Inwardly, she chuckled to herself. Well, he was gonna get another set of them because she was going to make sure he failed this round up too. Suddenly, a slight rustle of the bushes caused her to turn. She found herself staring at a deadly sharp arrowhead. Aydin reeled back sharply, only to bump into a tattooed rat who snarled and leaped onto her, claws extended to their fullest.

--

The weasel in charge of the archer regimen hissed quietly to himself and let out a stream of curses.

"M'lord, young Rannascene got herself spotted by a squirrelly," he spat angrily. His leader, a black fox with unusual dark gray stripes, scuffled his paw in thought, them growled,

"Let's hope she keeps her trap shut then. We'll deal with Rann later. Back to your post, Kazzak." Kazzak nodded quickly and trotted back.

"Rann, His Mightyness has requested your presence later," he stated. The small pine marten shrunk visibly. But that was expected as, unless you had reached the goal during a mission, a visit to His Mightyness wouldn't really be your cup of tea. Kazzak smirked at her terrified expression. That was what Lord Salgrine wanted from his army. To have control over them by intimidation. Of course, there were many mutinys but they were all crushed by the force of the ones loyal to him. And those infrequent rebellions were what kept the others in line. They had all seen the torn bodies of his victims hanging by the torture shack, where he kept all his slaves.

--

Todar growled angrily. The otter wasn't in a good mood. And to top that off, someone had stuck seaweed in his tea.

"Halluc, me mate!" He raged, commanding the nervous stoat to his presence. When he used just a name, everybeast knew whoever that was, they would be dead before sundown. Lucky stoat. Halluc stumbled over, stood to attention, and threw a smart salute.

"Yes Milord?" He stuttered. The otter lashed out his tail and caused the unfortunate vermin to trip and glared at him through cold, dark brown eyes. He continued swinging his tail about as a warning. Halluc cringed every time the rudder passed his vision.

"Git tha slaves marching FASTER!" The otter bellowed furiously, his eyes alight with rage. Halluc scrambled desperately to get away and bobbed his head quickly before running to do as he was bade.

--

The black fox swished his bushy tail thoughtfully. He considered the odds of him failing, then gestured to his right-paw, a pale colored vixen seer with unseeing purple eyes. She flicked her tail to signal she had heard.

"Tell them we are going. Now," he hissed in a calm demeanor yet his tone was chilly. The seer, not wanting to provoke him into attacking her, for she valued her life, scurried away with astounding agility and speed. The fox raised his chin, confident of his plans. The vixen, Lemira, approved of them, and hardly any plan that she approved of, failed. This was partially because Lemira was not one who wanted to feel his wrath.

The horde's pace quickened after their leader's orders. The fox gave the signal to attack and his troops melted into the shadows, preparing for the assult.

"Now." At the fox's word, the rest of the vermin spread out and charged, silently but swiftly. Before the slavers knew what happened, at least one third of them were dead. Most of them had arrows or daggers protruding from their backs.

Todar whipped his head around frantically. But the remembrance of something that happened in his earlier days gave him the answer he had silently pleaded for. His rival was back.

The fox had slipped away the moment his band had began their attack. At that moment, he appeared behind the otter he hated most. Todar Arrowswift. With a silky smooth chuckle, he stepped out of hiding, savoring the look of surprise with undisguised amusement.

"So, we meet again. You know what I want." Todar shook with fury. His paw reached for his well concealed dagger. Apparently, fate did not favor him this time for the fox saw the paw snaking up the otter's velvet tunic and shook his head in mock disappointment. He waggled a paw in the startled otter's face.

"Tut, tut. Trying the sneak attack on me, eh?" Once again, Todar trembled with barely contained anger. He smacked the intruding fox's paw away in one short gesture.

"No, ya can't have them," was his response. The fox was undeterred and he beckoned to his seer, who had been watching their meeting. At the movement of his paw, she stepped aside and revealed the gruesome scene that she had turned her back to. There lay nearly all of his crew, slain and strewn on the grass that had turned red with the bright scarlet droplets that showered on them relentlessly. The rest were under the paws of the fox's army, begging for mercy. Each had a dagger or sword pointed at their throat, forcing them to lift their chin higher. Each had a frenzied look of panic in their eyes as they tried to avoid the blades that told of their deaths. The fox chuckled again at his horrified expression.

"No?" He inquired again. Then, he laughed a laugh of cruel, sick pleasure. He spun around on his heel and stooped down low to look at the otter in the eye.

"Well, then I'll just take them," he finished, cackling at the last part. Todar gaze him a look of twisted hate on his angry face. He tried to strike out with his hind paws but found that they were shackled to a rotting wooden post. Letting his eyes roll, the otter silently cursed the fox's cunning mind and tried to guess who had done it. The gleaming golden eye of the seer told him who had done it. He hissed in annoyance at his rival's strategic mind. Curse it all again! Todar struggled more, but vainly, as the steel chains would not give way. He pulled and yanked and twisted and rolled. The fox watched all of this with eyes that betrayed nothing of what he was thinking. Finally, Todar had had enough. With a defeated sigh, he groaned,

"You won, Salgrine Keeneye. But mark my words, I'll be back." Salgrine hated when anybeast called him by his full name. He raised himself to full height and spat,

"I am Lord Salgrine the Heartless." His name sent shivers down Todar's spine.

"And, I never needed your permission. I just wanted to see that air bag you call pride, deflated. Also, how can you kill me," Salgrine chuckled softly and let the sentence hang in the air. Todar's eyes flew open wide and his paws curled themselves into balls to stop them from whacking the fox hard on his nose. Salgrine raised a paw to Lemira and she rapped out orders for the slaves to be herded away before brandished an ivory tipped bow strapped onto her back. She whipped out an arrow, pulled the bowstring taut, and released. The arrow whistled gently through the air, gliding smoothly and with grace. Todar wriggled and squirmed but the arrow still hit its target. The otter managed a small, gurgled squeak before his eyes misted over and his body fell limp. Inwardly, Lemira laughed, a cruel, sick sound, and fondled her other unused arrows delicately. She never used normal arrows. Only poisened ones.

"When you're dead?" Salgrine finished with a kick of dirt in the otter's limp, bedraggled face.

--

Aydin stood in a row with the rest of the slaves as their new 'master', Lord Salgrine the Heartless, inspected them and assigned them jobs. He gestured to a small, dirty looking bankvole with dull, spiritless brown eyes.

"You, your name?" He whispered. The bankvole raised its head slightly, allowing its weary gaze to travel over the sly fox before answering,

"Ferlot." Salgrine's eyes narrowed. In a heartbeat, he was on the helpless slave-to-be, dragging his claw across its side. When he spoke, it addressed the entire gawking crowd.

"Let this be a warning. You are to call me 'master'!" He spoke in a calm, collected tone that was nearly overflowing with venom. The bankvole he attacked nodded vigorously.

"Yes master," he whimpered. The fox looked satisfied.

"You are to be a the head chef. You can cook right?" He drawled. Two little bankvole babes stepped forward unbidden. Both spoke simultaneously in identical voices, suggesting they were twins.

"Offa cose he can coo'! He coo' 'ummy tweats for hi' famawe!" Salgrine nodded his head in approval, then hissed, his ears twitching in annoyance.

"You will not talk to me unless asked!" He snarled but maintained his calm demeanor. The babes cowered in fright. Salgrine seemed to think for a moment, tapping his chin thoughtfully, then flicked his tail to Lemira. He mouthed the words: 'Sun Chamber.' She winked to tell him she got the message. Then, she padded towards the babes, a grin of faked excitement plastered on her sly features.

"Come on, little 'uns, I know a place to play!" She cooed. One of the bankvole parents shrieked.

""No," she pleaded. In a flash, Salgrine had pulled out his whip. The bankvole noticed and shut up immediately, not wanting for him to harm her little dibbuns. The little bankvoles had no idea what was happening, only that Lemira the fox was taking them to a fun place. One, a dark red-brown colored male squealed with delight.

"Us pway?" He asked, eyes gleaming happily. Lemira nodded solemnly.

"Aye," she answered, swishing her tail. The other, a similar colored male with a little black fleck behind his right ear, dashed to her side and jumped up and down.

"Les go! Les go!" Lemira chuckled at the bankvoles naivety, then led them off into the distance. Salgrine turned to the line of woodlanders. He indicated a wiry old otter with a little ottermaid cowering behind.

"You," he snapped. The old otter stepped forward. The black fox snarled.

"Not you, the little otter maiden," he growled. The young otter stepped out meekly. Salgrine looked thoughtful and tapped a claw to the ground.

"What can you do? What's your name?" He growled. The ottermaid trembled while talking but managed to sputter,

"D - do y - y - you ha-have pa - pa - pa - paper? M - My name i - i - is Eliena, master." The fox nodded to Lemira, who had came back from wherever she had taken the bankvole babes. She bustled off and returned with a pure white notebook. The otter maiden scribbled furiously, then handed her 'master' the notebook with a beautifully detailed picture of him. He stroked it lovingly. He nodded approvingly and barked,

"You will be my slave. You have the privilege of extra rations," he declared. Many looked at her longingly. Then, he gestured to a gray mole who stepped up with a polite tug of his snout.

"Moi noime bes Cluffoin. Oi c'n juggle marster, oh burr aye," he announced in his quaint molespeech. The fox nodded and waved his hand at Eliena. Cluffoin got the message and hurried to join her. Next in line was a fat mouse whose whiskers were smeared with cream. He licked his fingers in a disgusting manner. Salgrine snorted and ordered,

"Have him removed." A burly looking ferret stepped forward and flung him out of sight. The last thing heard from him was a muffled squeak of surprise. After him was Aydin, defiant and spirited as ever. A devilish twinkle shone in her clear blue eyes and her paw inched towards her hidden dirk. It had a slender hilt that was embroidered with jewelry. Salgrine noticed her moving paw and was before her in a flash, holding onto her hand with a vice grip. In a thin voice that was usually used when disguising an emotion, growled,

"What is your name, slave?" Aydin stared back at him levelly, rebellion clear in her blazing eyes.

"Aydin, master," she hissed, spitting out the last word. Salgrine glared at her. She glared back, fur bristled to twice her size. Her tail swished as she poised herself. Suddenly, the fox began laughing.

"And what can you do, fair maiden?" He chuckled. Aydin stared at him, ear twitching uncomfortably.

"Flattery gets you nowhere. As for my name, it's Aydin." Salgrine seemed to completely forget that he ordered them to call him master.

"What can you do, young Aydin?" Aydin the squirrel scuffled a paw in the dirt.

"Plenty," she retorted hotly. The fox didn't seemed deterred by her attitude and he pressed on, eyes searching and reading her facial expressions carefully.

"I can sing, I can dance, I can talk, I can mimic, and I can do so much more that would do good to you," she taunted.

The fox rubbed his forehead to stop himself from killing the cocky squirrel right then and there. She could be some use to him. Finally, he growled,

"Sing." From the mouth of the squirrel came a series of beautiful sounds.

_"No one can steal my freedom,_

_Nor can they my liberty,_

_Think their so much better than me, _

_When we all deserve to live._

_I could've seen so many things,_

_And yet you stopped my liberty,_

_And so then I became,_

_Your downfall!"_

The squirrel smirked. The fox bit his tongue from saying any sharp remark. The other vermin of his horde had stopped to listen to the rich music but at the look of their leader's face, they hurried away to tend to their duties. All of the other slaves were all in awe, although some of them were snickering at the look of pure hate on their 'master's' face.

"You will be my personal slave as well. You will attend our feasts as an entertainer and my waitress though," he remarked stonily. The squirrel gave him a cold grin before allowing herself to enter the large, colorful tent that was to be her new home.

Shaking his head, he called the next in line up. It was the silver colored mouse. She was stunning in beauty. Her black tipped ears were perfectly formed and her ebony-furred paws were small and dainty. She was identified as Kieria, and she pulled out a small glass flute, decorated with small ribbons. Taking a deep breath, she began to play a series of notes.

"My personal slave," called Salgrine. Next, an aged gray mouse, Halleon, was dubbed a kitchen helper, a plump vole, Tessera became a servant, Milla the hedgehog became a servant as well, Coda the shrew became a maid, and Ore the hedgehog became a maid as well. The rest were either kicked out or killed.

--

A gray stoat walked into the His Mightiness' slaves' tent and ordered,

"You are to meet him now.

--

Lord Salgrine smiled as his slaves filed in, each looking nervous except for, of course, Aydin, who was staring back furiously. She made a mental note to self:

_If he hurts Kieria, I'll kill him!_

"Welcome to my humble abode," he greeted with false kindness. Unfortunately for him, Aydin noticed and snapped,

"Cut the fancy language, it makes you seem like a well-mannered mouse." Anger and frustration boiled in Salgrine's black body but he forced himself to remain calm.

"That remark was unneeded," he commented icily. Aydin snorted. Suddenly, a weasel captain named Grogface stumbled by and hollered loudly.

"Milord, Teruk is here, waiting for you to grace her presence!"

--

**If you have to say anything, it should be constructive criticism. This is my first time writing a Redwall fanfic. I'm used to writing Warriors. Anyway, the song is MINE! In other words, no stealing!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay to all my reviewers such as Tinselpool and Scyphi!... and not so to Kelaiah... Here's the next chapter. Please review cause I'm sorta depressed!**

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Lord Salgrine's head snapped up and he twiddled with his claws. A cruel, nasty smirk found its way to the the heartless fox's face. He motioned for Grogface to step out before facing the line of slaves.

"Here is your chance to prove yourself. If you don't, I will kill you, personally. I will talk to each one of you and assign you a task. Step forward, Eliena," he snarled. The trembling ottermaid faced him and curtsied politely, not wanting to be the first to face his wrath.

"Y - yes m - m - master?" She asked, her voice quivering dangerously as if on the brink of tears. The fox glanced at her lazily before tapping his claws thoughtfully. Then, he growled softly,

"Paint a portrait of her." He emphasized the word her. She nodded quickly and curtsied once more before scurrying away to the slave tent. The gray mole stepped out. The fox didn't need a second though.

"Juggle," he growled curtly. Cluffoim tugged his snout once more. Several slaves had been assigned something before it was Aydin's turn. Salgrine had a wicked grin plastered on his night black face. He lifted a claw to her chin. She leaped back, as if he were some sort of disease. Salgrine smirked again and his bushy tail whipped around.

"You will sing, then play a little prank on them, mimic, dance, do whatever you can!" Aydin's eyes met his. She didn't flinch, nor did she tense at all. Finally, she nodded stiffly and with an annoyed sigh, growled,

"Yes master." Venom was dripping beneath those words. Salgrine smirked yet again, thinking that he had won her over, destroyed her rebellious attitude. He had no idea how wrong he was. In a flash, the squirrel maiden had whipped out her concealed dirk and was on him. She pressed the cold steel to his throat and growled angrily,

"I will kill you if you harm a hair on any of my friends' pelt. I will make you wish you had never been born!" The fox just shrugged and flicked her off. Unfortunately for the warlord, one of the warriors from the close combat regimen had seen it. As had his head general.

--

_Naughty dibbuns, attacking poor Friar Fillor and stealing those pasties! Anyhow, all the Abbey creatures are getting ready for the Summer of the Black Swans! It's pretty obvious why it was named that. Abbess Chamomile was visiting her swan friends who had just returned from migrating and discovered that they had chicks. When they had hatched, they were a pure black color, not a foggy dark gray or veiled with white but just pitch black! I guess that's what the Amara, head of the dibbun group, was using those raspberry tarts and blackberry pies for. Everyone is excited for the games. Apparently, the dibbuns were using those treats to practice for the water balloon contest!_

_So many others say I should act dignified! Why? Just because I'm older doesn't mean I have to be all prim and proper. I should be able to enjoy my last years. At least Abbess Chamomile agrees with me. Young Abbess loves to frisk around like a dibbun. Yesterday, a patrol of Salamandastron hares came by. Sargeant Darisol, Lieutenant Fennira, Corporal Altora, Lorinka Temara Pantrigol, and the new leverets, Catiria Dillo Emera, Tessera Lsiro De Cannie, and little Picasso Lsink Fiaso. Everyone saw Fillor's horrified expression. Darisol is just as bad as the dibbuns! Snatching sweets of windowsills and whatnot?_

_Sister Alicia, our kind Infirmary Keeper has a new helper, the quiet Eslanda. Sweet mouse took a pastie out of Darisol's paws without him making a peep! Oh boy, is that strawberry fizz I smell? I'll have to end this here, Chamomile is certain to leave none for me, the poor recorder!_

_Aliankra,  
Recorder of Redwall_

Aliankra stretched, mouth set in a silent yawn. Three sharp raps on her door brought her back. Abbess Chamomile stepped in, a wavering smile on her petite features. She was actually quite a young squirrel, in her prime years. Her bright golden fur held a sheen that was unrivaled by any they had ever seen. She had fine, black tipped ears and a grace that only a deer could match. The young abbess glided forward. Aliankra's slender tail twitched. She narrowed her eyes in mock annoyance.

"Wait, if you're up here, doesn't that mean you finished all the fizz?" Chamomile looked hurt.

"Are you asking me to? Because I just saved two cups for you." Aliankra was down the stairs in a flash, her tail waving before disappearing completely. Chamomile followed her down and heard Aliankra's wild cry,

"Last one to finish is a dirty dibbun!" Chamomile glared at her friend in mock anger.

"Not fair, you got a head start!" Aliankra shrugged nonchalantly and flicked her ears.

"When are YOU ever fair?" Chamomile grinned.

"Right." Aliankra looked satisfied with herself, now that her point was taken. Suddenly, two dark, velvety brown ears poked up from behind the windowsill. Aliankra the mouse smiled deviously. Abbess Chamomile caught the look and a mischievous grin worked at her mouth. It took a lot to keep from bursting into a fit of giggles. Both Recorder and Abbess slunk over to the ears. Now, contented grunts could be heard. Then, the two leaped up and grabbed whoever it was by the ears.

"Owww! You know bally well than to sneak up on a poor ol' chap - oh, wot? 'S the blinkin' Abbess, wot!" Aliankra couldn't help it. She clutched her sides as she laughed hysterically, big, raindrop tears welling up at the corners of her soft hazel eyes. Darisol folded his arms and snorted while muttering,

"Bad form, marm, bad form, wot!" Abbess Chamomile clasped a paw over her mouth and winked at the Recorder.

"Looks like we caught our thief! Won't the Friar be proud!" Darisol blanched visibly and struggled vainly to free himself. Then, a hedgehog burst through the door, face as red as a beet. Darisol's face twisted into a look of horror. Friar Fillor waved a frying pan menacingly, then watched as Darisol wriggled out of Chamomile's grasp and bolted for the door. Fillor raced after him, his spikes bristling in every direction.

--

Katalia was fully clothed in her usual attire. A silken lavender tunic with a pale golden sash tied loosely around it. She rushed down the stairs, eager to report her sightings. Suddenly, she rammed into something hard and furry. It whipped around and snarled,

"Watch it Kat!" Katalia found herself staring into the furious face of Miila, an otter about the same age as her. She curtsied politely before skittering away, not wanting to face the wrath of the ottermaid when she was angry!

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**Okay, I'm really bored with this. Might delete it, might not. Anyways, review!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here's the next chapter...sorry for the long wait! Thanks to Jade TeaLeaf for her encouragement and advice. This chapter is dedicated to you.**

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A scarred-looking female otter stared at the plain white ceiling worriedly. Her husband's missions never took this long! Something must have gone wrong...but what? She shuddered as she recalled the last time he failed, although the set of claw marks were the only remaining evidence of it.

"Mama, where's Daddy?" Inquired a little female ottermaid. A perfect replica of her appeared by her side and chimed in,

"Yeah! You said he was on a mission again!" The older female otter, Skann, cringed slightly, but answered in a convincing tone,

"Um, he'll be back soon, nothing could go wrong." In truth, she was also trying to convince herself. The two otter twins, Aetis and Luftin, sighed as the settled comfortably onto their mother's lap. Absently, she stroked them while thinking about all the changes. Todar had been offered a higher position that allowed his entire family to move to a better place...they had gotten a better house and all those things. Before, they had been slaves, dirty, scrawny, and weak. Now, they lived in a two story house with three bedrooms, one for her and Todar, another for Aetis and Luftin, and then the third one which was just a spare for when Todar's Aunt Jedidiah and Uncle Jeremiah came to visit. Skann sighed at the memory of those two, then went back to retracing her life. There was a clean kitchen with a quaint little room for the twins to play in...another where they - she and Todar - just talked. That place just had a rug made of mouse fur, a soft cream colored couch, a few interesting paintings and a glass table. There was also a fairly decent sized bathroom that connected their - she and Todar - to the twins room. Those were the times she considered a miracle...Skann was completely unaware that she had zoned out until a tug from Aetis brought her back.

"Mama, dere's a fewwet at de door! He says for you!" Her speech was still slightly clumsy but her mother could still make out the words. Mama, there's a ferret at the door, he says he wants to talk to you. Skann sighed as she stretched, yawned, then trotted over to the door. Sure enough, a burly looking, tattooed ferret was there, along with a devilish looking lynx who held a whip. The ferret handed her a note, which she took hesitantly. Her eyes skimmed the page and the more she read on, the more blurred her vision became because of tears. It stated everyone of her worst nightmares. Todar was dead and they were to return as slaves. Todar had received the offer a day after the twins had been born, so they had never felt the brutal sting of the whip. The ferret tapped his footpaw rhythmically against the ground, making it clear that he was getting impatient. Skann got the message and immediately called over the twins, who looked up at her in confusion.

"Mama, we going ta huh?" Skann sighed as she petted Aetis's head before replying,

"We're leaving, we're slaves now." Aetis and Luftin both looked at her quizzically but she shook her head, signaling that she would say no more. The twins whined but inquired no further. The ferret led them to the slave compound, a fair-distanced walk from their former house. At one time, Luftin cried out because of a sore paw but Skann shushed her effectively. She knew too well what would happen if a slave complained.

The sight that met Skann was gruesome. All the woodlanders in there wore tattered rags for clothing and were scraggly-looking. Most looked like peppermint candy canes, they were covered in so many red stripes. In the back of the slave compound was a pile of bones, topped with skulls of dead mice, squirrels, otters, and even the occasional ferret or fox. The lynx shoved her and the twins into there, then shut the door noisily. The clanging noise it made caused the other slaves to turn around and stare at them with unnerving, bloodshot gazes. A weary-looking gray mouse introduced,

"Welcome to the realm of pain. And the last ticket boarded for freedom just left." He pointed at the locked door. A dark brown fox noticed them and growled,

"No time to chit-chat, get to work!" Skann lowered her head submissively and ushered her daughters away. The fox glanced at them again with his dark eyes and mumured a few calculations. Then, he closed his eyes.

"Miftka, things just got complicated..."

**_:-:-:_**

In the shelter of the slave tent, Aydin hugged her knees close, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Several darkly colored spots on the dirty ground beneath her suggested that she had been crying for a while. The squirrelmaid wailed mentally as pangs of homesickness swept over her. This was natural; she had never been away from home for so long. More thoughts of her home came flashing back. Her twin sister, Linzle, who seemed forever optimistic, even when their home had been burned up...her mother, Orula, who made the best treats ever...her father, Ibel, strong and wise...memories of her favorite times came flooding back along with those thoughts, forcing more tears to spring up to her eyes. Once, Orula was teaching her to bake honey-drizzled scones...the stove accidentally exploded when Linzle thought it was funny to shove one of her rocket experiments in there. Aydin whimpered softly, shaking with tears and fury as she remembered her family could still be alive if Todar hadn't burned down her home and that she could still be free if it weren't for Salgrine putting her on a short leash! Suddenly, something tugged on her paw and Aydin whirled around to see a small, dark honey brown colored she-ferret, who put a paw to her mouth, effectively shushing her squirrel for a few moments. Then, the ferret yanked her out of Salgrine's domain and into the woods. There, she let go of Aydin, who was about to say something but stopped immediately when the ferret raised her paw.

"First off, I'm Kiwia, you're Aydin. Good, now we know each other. And second, you're here...for reasons currently unknown, at least for you," Kiwia announced. Aydin stared at her for a moment, processing the information. Finally, she nodded, then murmured,

"Duck." Kiwia looked at her in confusion but did as bid. An arrow whizzed past, just narrowly missing her left ear. Kiwia picked up the arrow; it had landed just a few inches in front of her. The ferret studied it carefully, then cursed before taking Aydin's paw and fleeing.

"Tehal," was the only heard part of her explaination for the abrupt changes. The rest was lost on the wind.

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**Very short chapter and a very cheesy one too, and I'm sorry, but I'm having a minor writers block so...yeah. Well, R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Aydin**

**Sorry for not updating in such a long time. But it's summer, and it's Friday! So cheers for an extra-long, bonus chapter that reveals who the brown fox, Miftka, Tehal, and Kiwia are. Enjoy!**

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_With every evil comes a good, and with every good comes an evil, _Kiwia had once thought to herself.

That's what started the Riders and their Stormhawks.

Riders were a powerful, hidden group of animals, vermin and woodlanders alike, who fought against tyrants like Salgrine and the Marlfoxes.

Vermin had reason to join because they felt unrecognized and abused by their leaders. Woodlanders were mixed in because of their long-lasting hatred for cruel animals that harmed the innocent.

It was split into five different divisions, the Lazuli Division, the Zircon Division, the Opal Division, the Obsidian Division, and the Diamond Division.

Each bred their Stormhawks with different characteristics.

For example, the Lazuli bred pale, ghost-feathered hawks. They were quick and agile. The current leaders of that division were Miftka, with her silver-feathered Stormhawk, born with the name Esoliar.

The Zircon bred vibrantly colored hawks who were brutal and fierce. The leaders were Taverii, and his companion, Scilarre, was a brilliant sea-green shade.

Opal Stormhawks were usually hawks with many patterns and designs, trained for speed and extreme aerial abilities. It was commanded by Kahn and his Stormhawk, Baore, who was midnight-black and dusted with gold and gray along his back and wings.

Obsidians were dark-feathered, stealthy and tactical. The powerful leaders of that were Deira and her pure black Stormhawk, Celtesi.

Finally, the Diamond Division was the most demanding division, requiring all members to be rounded in all the areas. Their coloring was wide-ranged, from whites to blacks, pale creams to dark browns, light greens to midnight blues, and everything in between. The unrivaled leaders of that were older than any other pair of leaders: Dante and his stunningly beautiful hawk, Terigen, who was pearl-feathered and spangled with browns, golds, and blacks.

The founders, now tinged silver with age, were a pair of mice and two hawks. The mice were wanderers who'd travelled from afar and became shipwrecked on their voyage. They'd acquired two hawk eggs along the way, and not long after they'd crashed, the eggs had hatched.

One was a large, brawny and savage male who was extremely protective over his shy companion from the start. He had striking golden plumage and a black band around his eyes. His wings were powerful, lengthy, banded white and tipped black. His terrifying golden eyes were icy and piercing, and a crest of feathers swept over his head. His talons were black and deadly.

The other was a female, petite but compact in build. It was obvious that she was made for speed, agility, and stealth. Her feathers were a stunning midnight-black shade, although they held a silver sheen. Her eyes were golden as well, but a lighter, honey-colored golden. Her wings weren't as clipped, large, and thick as the male's, but they were powerful and beautiful like that of an angel's, tipped with black-gold designs. Her body was slender and lithe, giving her an advantage in the wind, and her beak was hooked and black. Her talons, though not as sharp as the male's, were still black and curved.

The female mouse, Faera, was a well-proportioned, bracken-furred creature with intelligent hazel eyes and a pinkish nose. Her paws were small, white, and dainty, and her tail was always poised above her in an elegant curl.

Her mate, Reditore, was a handsome, dark gray shade with a lean frame. His eyes were dark brown and endless, and on his back was strapped his favorite ivory-hilted dagger. It was a present from Faera.

They'd named the female hawk Sahna and the male Aurem, which was their native language for 'golden' or 'shining'.

The two young chicks had grown rapidly, and before long, they were able to carry Faera and Reditore from place to place. It was like a nightly routine.

But it was on one of these routines that they'd seen the true cruelty of Lord Salgrine's father, Damir.

---

_Like every other night, the slender-figured Faera clambered aboard the silky back of Sahna. _

_Craning her neck slightly to watch what they were doing, the female hawk allowed them to attack a seat to her back. With one patronizing golden eye, she studied them with her head cocked, but seemed willing enough. Tightening the cinch to make sure the saddle didn't slip off, Reditore leaped onto Aurem's broad back and pulled his neckfeathers upwards._

_Flying with an easy gait, the two majestic birds spiraled across the sky, dancing and weaving amongst each other. _

_Faera smiled softly to her mate, and he returned the gaze with one of pure exhilaration. _

_"Freee-ahh!" Sahna trilled suddenly in her bell-like tones. Faera ran her paws through the female's striking feathers and smoothed out the ruffled ones. Sahna gave a contented sigh, filled with pleasure and excitement. Suddenly, the mouse felt her ride tense, stared into her intense eyes, and was immediately aware of the danger as well._

_"Red!" Faera half-whispered half-screeched. Her mate turned to look at her, and she pointed her paw downwards. "We've got to stop them!"_

_What they were seeing was this:_

_A poor, young white fox shackled to sticks, whiplashes all over his frail body. A mother was wailing, and another rat was beating her with a willow switch._

_Several other vermin were sitting around them, cackling at the fox's predicament. A lard-bellied scarlet fox was lying at the center, waving his fat paws and screaming for them to whip the prisoners harder. _

_"Get away from them," snarled Reditore, and Faera stared menacingly beside him. Aurem and Sahna crowed with agreement._

_Some scattered at their magnificent entrance._

_Aurem's feathers were shimmering, reflecting the moonlight like the water reflected the sunlight. It was brilliant, and he looked as if he were on fire; a phoenix. His majestic wings looked as if they trailed fire; he was simply glowing._

_Sahna was as regal as Aurem looked petrifying. Like a queen, her head was held high, the scarce light from the moon rippling over her delicate plumage, creating a celestial mirage, as if she were an angel. She was radiant, and heavenly._

_The huge leader glared and them and shook his fist. A small male fox kit was crouched beside him, his bushy black tail waving. Faera swooped closer to hear:_

_"Father, get up and fight them!"_

_But the giant monster did nothing but order his followers to attack, not caring about their agonized screams and wails as Aurem brutally tore them apart. Faera stared at Reditore in horror, her soft brown eyes wide with anguish._

_"Where _are_ we?" she whispered. _

_In a matter of moments, the vermin all lay strewn across the red speckled ground. _

_Reditore shook his head angrily, his eyes blazing at the damage they'd done. The small fox kit had fled from his dead father's side._

_"He could've helped, and maybe they would've won," snarled the dark, gray-furred mouse, shaking and trembling in fury. Faera touched his arm gently with a single white paw, comforting him, soothing him._

_"He was a coward," she conceded. Reditore shook his head._

_"And to think that there are more of these disgraces," he spat as Faera tried in vain to calm him down. "We must stop them."_

_"Stop them we shall," Faera amended quietly._

_---_

_The little white fox and his mother were the first to join the Riders, as they called themselves._

_Aurem and Sahna had settled down together, and by the spring, they had their first batch of eggs._

_"Oh," the mother, Dani, cooed, "they're so precious!"_

_Although her son, Dante, looked indifferent, everyone could tell that he had his eye on the pearly white one. _

_It was smooth as a marble, speckled with many shades of scarlet, gold, and gray. It was the first egg Sahna and Aurem had, and he was more than desperate for it to hatch so that he could have a companion of his own. He'd seen the joy of Reditore and Faera as they flew with their companions, and several times, they'd let him ride their hawks as well, but it just wasn't the same._

_Sahna and Aurem belonged to Faera and Reditore, and Faera and Reditore only. _

_They'd given their hearts to them, and would be devoted to them for a lifetime. It just wasn't the same as having your own hawk to have a connection with._

_You could tell how they adored their Riders._

_No one was allowed to touch the haughty Aurem on the ground but Reditore. Once, Dante had reached out hesitantly to stroke his scintillating golden feathers, only to pull back as the enormous hawk focused his startling golden eye upon him. But when Reditore came to pet him, he stood still, eyes hooded, even leaning into the touch. _

_Sahna was solely Faera's. _

_Although she allowed others to ride her, she was always tense when they did. Dante could feel their powerful bodies tensing the moment he made contact with them. Plus, Sahna felt no connection with anybody but Faera, and she treated them such as well. She ignored most, but it was Faera's attention and praise that she sought most. It was Faera that she lavished all her love on. And it was Faera that she felt the most open with. Sahna had eyes for none but Faera._

_Meanwhile, as he longingly awaited for the egg to hatch, Reditore taught him to fight._

_Soon, he had mastered the bow and arrow as well as the javelin and the spear, and he was most adept with the sword._

_He thought of it as a dance, like a dance of the snake, and he fought like it was so. His tactics were stealthy and unanticipated, but savage and fierce as well. Once he attacked, he would quickly pull back, forcing the enemy to step closer if he hoped to get in a strike._

_In a few months, he was able to dispatch Reditore without breaking a sweat._

_The egg he loved was also making progress. It was the first to start shaking violently, and the last to stop. _

_Finally, when he was sparring with Reditore in close combat, Sahna had circled overhead, half-singing half-crying,_

_"Krree! Kreeeh! Free-ah!"_

_It was like they'd rehearsed it a million times before. As he leaped into the sky, Sahna swooped below him and carried him off, her wings angled towards their hidden camp made of rock._

_When he arrived, he was breathless and frantic._

_"Where is it? Has it hatched?!" he panicked, looking around wildly. His mother held up a white paw, signaling him to be quiet. Then, she pointed._

_There was the polished little egg, sitting in the nest, shivering. A crack split the side, and Dante gasped in wonder as the tiny, featherless bundle emerged, took its first few wobbly steps, then collapsed onto the nest._

_Aurem's striking golden eyes were fixed upon the dripping chick, and his chest swelled proudly as he preened his mate's neck. Dante could've sworn they were purring._

_Then, Aurem's gaze switched to meet his, and he felt a silent urge. In that moment, he knew what Aurem was telling him._

_Reaching forward, he touched the baby's forehead tenderly with his index finger._

_A strong pulse slammed him unconscious, but before he blacked out completely, he felt a wave of assurance and contentment, as if saying 'I'm yours and your mine, now isn't life fine?'_

_---_

_"Dante?" he heard the worried voice of his mother come from his left, and he felt a gentle paw shake him. Sleepily, he opened his eyes and rubbed them with the back of his paw. He gasped again._

_There was the previously wet bundle of feathers standing on its own, staring inquisitively at him._

_But the most surprising thing was his rapid growth._

_Just before he'd slipped into his 'sleep', the hawk chick had been nothing more than just a baby._

_Now, it looked healthy, vibrant, and alive._

_Its body was mainly white, but its tail, chest, and wings were spangled gold, brown, and black. Its feathers were sleek and lustrous, a double layer to prevent water from leaking through and stopping its flight. Its eyes were a strange, emerald-green hue and rimmed with honey-gold. It was built with a slender but muscular figure, perfect for Dante's fighting style. The tail was long and silky, allowing them to have full advantage of the air, and its wings were angelic, like its mother's._

_With its boyish figure, the white fox guessed it was a male. _

_The young hawk tapped his beak against Dante's right paw, and he felt the hawk's thoughts flow into his mind._

_"Terigen," Dante whispered, stroking the hawk. He felt so happy, so ecstatic; it was like no joy he'd ever experienced before. A wave of euphoria crashed upon him, and he felt like he was soaring. "Terigen." The word was sweet on his tongue, and he rolled it around. It was fitting, he felt. He didn't know, he just felt._

_"Terigen, huh?" came Faera's soft, lilting voice. _

_He hadn't noticed her there, and, startled, he whipped around quickly, causing Terigen to squeal with displeasure at the sudden movement. _

_The female mouse's eyes smiled at him as she spoke. _

_"It's very fitting you know. In our language, it means 'clever' or 'cunning. And, if you tweak the pronunciation a little bit so it's spoken like 'Teh-ra-gen' rather than 'Teh-ra-jin', then it would mean 'galaxy', or 'destiny', or 'forever'."_

_For the first time since he'd been rescued, Faera saw him smile the most brilliant smile she'd ever seen._

_---_

_Terigen grew to be amazing in physical appearance as well as ability. His personality was sweet-natured and his heart held compassion for all. He refused to eat any sort of young prey and played with any other animals the Riders encountered. _

_His outer appearance was simply divine. His feathers were a beautiful, snow-white shade, sparkling in the sunlight. Gold, brown, and black stars dashed across his body and adorned his wings, tail, and chest. His body was perfectly proportioned. His eyes, bright and full of life, reflected the lusciousness of a tropical rainforest. When he flew, his tail feathers and wing feathers billowed out behind him like streamers._

_Dante and Terigen were the perfect pair, as their tactics were uncannily similar. Terigen's figure allowed him to angle himself so that Dante was able to strike and pull back smoothly and sinuously. _

_The size of the Riders had increased considerably. They were the most powerful force in all of Mossflower, only rivaled by their one true enemy, the Shadows. _

_Just like Riders were dedicated to fighting against tyrants, the Shadows were animals of every sort that could be paid to help fight. Cruel, insane, and heartless, they were led by their savage leader, a monstrous black wolverine and his son, Tehal._

_---_

For years, the Riders and their Stormhawks dedicated their lives to destroying tyrants. The Obsidian Division branched off into two different groups, the spies and the assassins.

They remained forever enemies with the Shadows, and raids were led upon their camps.

The strongest rivalry, however, came from two siblings with different dreams.

---

_The wind ruffled the fur of the small, dark, honey-colored ferret. Her eyes were bright as she skipped over to her brother and looked up adoringly at him. From behind her back, she produced a clump of drying wildflowers, their yellow petals withering slightly._

_"I got these for you, Tehal!" she squeaked shyly. _

_Her brother, a male ferret of an even darker shade, smiled absently and stroked his little sister's head in appreciation. His eyes were distant, though it went unnoticed by the younger female ferret._

_"Thanks, Kiwia," he said, but his tone implied anything but. Kiwia smiled to herself, happy that she'd pleased him._

_---_

"That was before," Kiwia whispered in a pained voice, "That was before you left me when I needed you most."

---

_Their house was burned, complete burned to the ground. Only ashes remained, still glowing red-hot. Kiwia clung to Tehal in shock, her tiny, light golden paws restraining his paws._

_Her parents. Dead. Gone. Burned. Suffocated. _

_"Don't leave me," she sobbed to her brother. He stared down at her with cold, impassive eyes and easily shook her off. Then, he nodded to the barbaric-looking assortment of animals that had burned down their house and went to stand beside them. He glared at the pitiful form of his sister and looked away as he indifferently,_

_"They've offered me a job. I don't have to stay here anymore. I'm joining the Shadows. Maybe they'll put you in a happier place than this. Maybe not."_

_Then, turning on his heel, he left his little sister crying and shaking as she tried to pull away from the two weasels holding her captive._

_He left._

_---_

She ripped herself out of the memory as her commander, Deira, called her for her next mission.

"We're on Salgrine," the solid white ermine informed her.

She nodded.

_He_ was the reason why she'd joined the Riders.

She was determined never let anyone hurt the way she did because of _him_.

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